The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of petunia plant obtained from bud mutation of `Revolution Brilliantpink`.
Petunia is a very popular plant and is used for flower bedding and potting in the summer season. There are only a few varieties of the petunia plant which do not have an upright growth habit and which have a high resistance to rain, heat, drought and cold. Accordingly, this invention was aimed at obtaining a new variety of decumbent habit petunia plant having long stems, a great profusion of blooms, petal color is white, the bush remaining in bloom for a considerable period of time, and a high resistance to rain, heat, drought and cold.
The new variety of petunia plant according to this invention obtained accidentally from bud mutation of a crossed variety, `Revolution Brilliantpink` (see, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,914), which originated from a crossing of `Recoverer Scarletred` as the female parent and a wild type of petunia plant native to Brazil as the pollen parent, in 1989 at the Yachiyo Farm of Keisei Rose Nurseries, Inc., residing at 755 Owadasinden, Yachiyo-shi, Chiba-ken, Japan. The new variety of the present invention originated as a spontaneous bud mutation of unknown causation. The resulting new variety was propagated by cutting, and then grown as a trial by flower bedding. The botanical characteristics of the plants were then examined, using `Revolution Brilliantpink` for comparison, from the spring of 1990. As a result, it was concluded that this petunia plant is clearly distinguishable from the comparative variety `Revolution Briliantpink`, in flower color, while maintaining beneficial characteristics thereof, and it is further distinguishable from any other variety, whose existence is known to us. This new variety of petunia plant has been named `Revolution White`.
In the following description, the color-coding is in accordance with the Horticultural Colour Chart of the Royal Horticultural Society, London, England (RHS Color Chart), and the Japan Color Standard for Horticultural Plant (JHS Color Chart).
The variety, `Revolution Brilliantpink`, which induced bud mutation of this new variety, is presently maintained at the aforementioned Yachiyo Farm of the Keisei Rose Nurseries, Inc., and Plant Biotechnology Laboratory, Institute for Fundamental Research of Suntory Ltd., and is marketed worldwide. The main botanical characteristics of `Revolution Brilliantpink` are as follows.
Plant: PA0 Stem: PA0 Leaf: PA0 Flower: Opening obliquely upward. PA0 Physiological and ecological characteristics: High resistance to rain, heat, and drought. Also high resistance to disease, particularly gray mold (Botrytis). Moderate resistance to pest.
Growth habit.--Decumbent. The stems hang down where potted in a hanging pot. PA2 Plant height.--15-20 cm. PA2 Spreading area of plant.--The stem extends to a length of 50-80 cm from the base, and thus the spreading area of the plant is 100-150 cm in diameter. PA2 Growth.--Very vigorous with abundant branching, a great profusion of blooms; the whole bush remaining in bloom for a considerable period of time. PA2 Blooming period.--Late March to late September, in the southern Kanto area, Japan. The plant shape does not change throughout this period. PA2 Thickness.--Main stem 2.5-3.5 mm; lateral stem 1.5-2.0 mm. PA2 Color.--Strong yellow green (R.H.S. 144A - 145A, JHS 3507 - 3712). PA2 Pubescence.--Normal. PA2 Branching.--Over-abundant. PA2 Length of internode.--1.5-1.7 cm before blooming; 3.0-4.0 cm during blooming. PA2 Phyllotaxis.--Verticillate before blooming; opposite during blooming. PA2 Shape.--Lanceolate. PA2 Size (average).--6.0-7.0 cm.times.2.5-3.5 cm. PA2 Thickness.--0.6-0.8 mm. PA2 Color.--Moderate olive green to strong yellow green R.H.S. 146A - 143A, JHS 3508 - 3308). PA2 Pubescence.--Few. PA2 Type.--Single. PA2 Shape.--Funnel-shape, with five-fissured limb. PA2 Diameter.--7.0-8.0 cm, large. PA2 Color.--In the unopened stage (bud), dark reddish purple (R.H.S. 79A - 79B, JHS 9516 - 9210); when open, dark purplish red (R.H.S. 71A, JHS 9509); at full bloom, vivid purplish red (R.H.S. 74A, JHS 9507 - 9207), with deep reddish purple (R.H.S. 77A, JHS 9209 - 9210) lines radiating from a dark purple (R.H.S. 83A, JHS 8609 - 8610) center portion. The reverse side of the petal is a vivid reddish purple color (R.H.S. 74A, JHS 9208 - 9206). The petal has a metallic luster. PA2 Reproductive organs.--1 normal pistil having a grayish olive green (R.H.S. 137A, JHS 3716) stigma, and 5 normal stamens each having a deep purple (R.H.S. 86A, JHS 8307) anther and a light purple (R.H.S. 87D, JHS 8603) filament. PA2 Peduncle.--1.5-2.0 cm in thickness, and 1.5-2.0 cm in length.
This new and distinct variety of petunia plant, `Revolution White`, was asexually reproduced by cutting at the aforementioned Yachio Farm of Keisei Rose Nurseries, Inc., and Plant Biotechnology Laboratory, Institute for Fundamental Research of Suntory Ltd., and the homogeneity and stability thereof were confirmed.